STP

STEVE THE PRODUCER

STP's BLOG 10/24/13 "Throwback Thursday"

by STP,posted Oct 24 2013 7:43AM

Since today is "Throwback Thursday" or #TBT for you Twitter and Instagram people...I thought you guys might get a kick out of some of these pictures I came across yesterday… most of these are from my early to mid 20’s, the early years of being on the radio. I also consider the bad hair phase of my life…all of these pix have a great story, but I’ll keep it brief.

Here is one of my all time fave pix…I did an interview with Eminem when he played the Showbox, his first show in Seattle (right around the time his first CD came out). This interview could’ve gone bad, halfway through it I realized I wasn’t taping and had to ask him if he could start over, he was totally cool with it…saying that he could tell I was a fan of the record, and he appreciated the respect I was showing him & I wasn’t making it a big issue that he was a “white rapper”. Thanks to this interview, he remembered me the next time he came to Seattle for the Warped Tour, and we actually got to hang out that afternoon at the Kingdome Parking lot…one of my favorite radio experiences:

Here I am with the original line up for Queens Of The Stone Age. They came in to perform one morning, they did “If Only” and “regular John” – it was an amazing morning. I wound up meeting up with them the night before to set up their gear so that they wouldn’t have to do it in the morning…just hanging with them the night before, and being the guy to mix their sound that morning will always stay with me. After all, QOTSA wound up becoming my all time favorite band.

Speaking of favorite bands, Faith No More will always be at the top of that short list…getting to meet Roddy Bottum was awesome. I met him at the Crocodile Café when his other band, Imperial Teen, played. I gave him a copy of my bands, Peter Parker, recording of the FNM song “As The Worm Turns”.

If you are a FNM fan and curious how our version sounded, check it out – it was recorded by Chris Walla from Death Cab For Cutie…

This picture cracks me up as I didn’t know someone was taking it…as some of you know, I am an unapologetic Limp Bizkit fan…seen them a bunch, and I have interviewed Fred Durst a ton, and it’s always been a great experience. However, in this pic I look not too thrilled to be in his presence…but I actually was…this was outside Guitar Center when they were doing guitarist auditions…I had been up since 3 AM, and it was around 6 PM when that pic was taken, we were under a tent…in the cold…raining…I was drained, and it shows…haha

I have a ton more pictures, but I will save them for future blogs!

I did want to share this…back when I moved out here, I had one goal…to work at 107.7 The End. I was a college radio nerd in Plattsburgh NY, and was obsessed with The End, mainly Marco Collins, as he broke so many bands I loved (Radiohead, Beck, No Doubt, not to mention all the Seattle bands). I wanted nothing more than to work at The End, so whenever I saw a job posting in the paper, I would apply…even if I wasn’t qualified. I applied for music director/On-air DJ once, and got a rejection letter.

Even though it was a rejection, I was still pumped…they acknowledged me…even if it was for a half of a second, they knew my name. I hung that letter in my room, and let it be the inspiration to keep trying…to not take no as an answer. 6 months later I was hired to produce the Andy Savage show. The rest is history, and that letter…I had it hanging in my office at The End, to remind me of the passion that I once…and still have…for radio.